Device for the recuperation of available heat on steam-locomotives provided with surface condensers



C. KOHLERl I DEVICE FOR THE RECUPERATQON 0F AVAILABLE HEAT 0N STEAKM LOCOMOTIVES PROVIDED WITH SURFACE CONDE NSERS. APPLICATION FILEDYSEPT. 25, 1919.

1,342,544. Patented him 8, 1920.

oonRAnKoHLEaoF z aIcrr, SWITZERLAND.

DEVICE FOR THEZREOUPERATION-OF AVAILABLE iina'r'on s'rEAM LOCOMoTIV Es PROVIDED WITH SURFACE CONDENSERS. 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CON AD KoHLnR, a

citizen of the RepublicofSwitzerland, re-' siding at Hardturmstrasse 19, Zurich, Switzerland, haveinvented certainfnew and useful Improvements in Devices for the Re cuperation of Available Heat 011 Steam-La comotives Provided with Surface Condensers; and I do hereby declare'the following to be 'acle ar,'-full', and-exact. description'of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Thisinvention relates to a device for the.

recuperation of available heat on a steam locomotive provided with a surface condenser. According to this invention the condensed steam discharged by the surface c011- denser is forced at first through a recuperator or feed heater heated by the exhaust steam of auxiliary machines of theelocomo tive and then through a recuperator or feed heater heated by the flue or combustion gases of the boiler and is finally pumped into the boiler. J

At the present time electric locomotives are introduced more and more in the rail-' way traflic because it is found that the working with electric locomotives is, at least in countries where water powers are available and coal is expensive, more economical than the working with steam driven locomotives. Electric locomotives are however dependent on at least one'central power plant. Conse quently, all locomotives are stopped when the central power plant or the intermediate conduits fail to deliver power. Owing to this, it is still preferred,'particularly also for military reasons, not to centralize the delivery-0f the power required for the working of railways and to drive each slngle locomotive independently of the other ones. This is only possible, however, when using steam locomotives. It is therefore the task of the railway engineers to design steam locomotives working in a more economical manner and to take advantage in the best possible way of any available energy of heat. This task is fulfilled by a device designed according to the present invention.

The accompanying drawing illustrates by way of example a diagrammatic side view of -driven by an auxiliary turbine 5 and itfis then discharged through' a-pipe 7 also cov- I Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 25 1919. Serial No. 326,338." I J necting pipe 2int0 the surface condenser 3. The water of condensation of condensed steam collecting on the bottom of this coning the locomotive. The, exhaust steam-of" this turbine 1 is dischargedthroughthe 0011- denser 3 is drawn through apipe 1 covered with non-conducting material bya pump 6 ered with non-conducting 'material, intoya' recuperator or feed heater. 8. The latterzis heated by the exhauststeamiof the auxiliary turbines 5 and 10, which drive the 'pumps'G,

6 and the fan 9 respectively, the exhaust steam being supplied to said feed heater -8 through the pipe 11. The water of con densation heated in the recuperator, 8 to a' higher temperature could now be fed into an intermediate tank or reservoir. 15 connected to the boiler feed pump. In order to heat however said water of condensationrto a still" higher temperature, it 1s fedfrom the; re-

cuperator 8 through the pipe 12. covered with non-conductin material into a second recuperator or feed lieater 13 which is heated by the flue or combustion gases of the boiler 14 of the locomotive. It is only from this second recuperator or feed heater 13- that the water of condensation or the condensed steam is supplied through the pipe 16 into the intermediate tank 15 connected 7 to the boiler feed pump by means of thepipe 17. The pipes 16jand 17 are also covered with non-conducting material. lVhen the water of condensation discharged from the" surface condenser 3 has for instance a temperature of 50 C., it can be heated in the first feed heater or recuperator 8 up to 80"90 C. and in'the second'feed heater or. recuperator 13. up to 130 C., so that it contains a much greater quantity of-heat energy than in the case in which it wouldbe directly used after leaving the surface condenser 3 for feeding the boiler of the locomotive. When required, additional water can be supplied to the condensed steam con tained in the intermediate tank 15.

I claim:

1. In a locomotive driven by a steam- 7 power engine and provided with a surface condensing plant, which plant comprises auxiliary machines driven by steanrpower chi'ne's,a feedheater'heated by'the combustion gasesof the boiler,andmeans for con 10 ducting the, condensed steam successively through said .tWo feed heaters. o 2. In a locomotive driven by a steami'poWer engine and provided With a surface condensing ,plant,'-F which -;plant comprises .1-5-auxiliary machines drivenby Steam pOWer engines and means'for--reconveying the condensed steam into the boiler of-the locomo-- .tive, a device for heating the condensed steam that *has to be conducted fromthe .20 surface condenser-back into the boiler,said

device comprising; a first feed heater heated bythe exhaust steamof saidauxiliary ma- ',ChlI1 6S, and a second feed heater-heated by the combustionvgases of the boiler, said sec ,2 5;on d feed heater being arranged in series qiw-ith the firstfeed heater.

, WVitnesses: 7

3. In a locomotive driven by a steampower engineand provided With a surface condensing plant, which plant comprises auxiliary machines driven by the steampowerengines and means for reconveying the condensed steam into theboiler of the locomotive, a device for heating thejcon;

densedsteam that has to be conductedfrom the surface condenser back into the boiler,

said device comprising a feed heater heated by the exhaust steamof said auxiliary machines, "a feed'heater heated by. the :com-

'bustioll gases of the boiler, means permitting'the condensedsteamto pass successively through said two v feed heaters, and. an intermediate tankarranged behind said ,tvvo feed'heaters and from which I the heated con'densed steam is drawn out by-the pump forcing it into the boiler;

my .invention I have signed name.

' CONRAD KOHLER.

AR oLnLEHNnm JEAN SOHAAD.

In testimony that lfclaim the foregoing as I v 

